Does 'man flu' really exist? Study finds men are actually LESS likely to admit they are ill

Women may accuse men of exaggerating
when they have flu - but a new study has found that it is females who are more
likely to admit to having sniffles and sneezes.

The research, carried out byLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine last winter, shows that women are are 16 per cent more likely to say they are ill - and at greater risk from flu in the first place.

Women have a greater chance of contracting the virus as they spend more time around children.

Making the most of it? A man suffers from seasonal symptoms

As the head of the project, Dr Alma Adler, told the BBC: 'The biggest risk factor is having children under the age of 18 and for this reason women are more at risk of flu.'

People with children reported 14 per cent more flu-like illness compared with people who didn't have children.

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Dr Adler added: 'We haven't found any evidence of "man flu" yet.'

The Flusurveyhas been launched again for 2012-13. This winter the project will record how people describe their feelings when they suffer from flu, hoping to glean more information about the psychology of the illness, as well as the science.

Guilty party: The flu virus will be responsible for plenty of illness and gender tension this winter

Adler explained: 'This year we have included some new questions, such as How bad do you feel? People can answer on a number scale of one to 10.'

Meanwhile, the debate over man flu rages on. Dr Douglas Fleming, from the Royal College of GPs' flu research unit,
had a diplomatic answer. He said there is no set rule when it comes to how flu viruses affect people.

'Every flu virus is different. It depends on the strain. We don't know ahead of time how it will affect people,' Fleming said. 'Different viruses affect men, women and children differently.'

Professor John Oxford, a expert in
virology at Queen Mary, University of London, explained that there is no
scientific basis for men and women experiencing symptoms differently.
But the perception of man flu could be explained by differences in
behavior.

The symptoms of flu, do they affect the sexes differently?

'We know that women react differently to infection. They are more sensitive to their health. Men bluster around a bit,' claimed Oxford. 'So there are differences in how men and women perceive illness.

'Men think they are going to die when they are unwell, so they go to bed and expect women to look after them.'

Next year's Flusurvey report will shed more light on the matter, but the row over man flu will run and run.